Free Black and White by Zenina Masters Page A

craft couldn’t trace him. He was presumed to be among the dead, but no bodies had been found, though everyone was looking.
    Ty watched Heloise putter around the shop and sat on the office chair, rotating slowly in a circle. “Busy day?”
    “Oh, the normal. Arranging shifters’ honeymoons and working on trips to the Crossroads.” Heloise glanced over her shoulder. “And then there is you.”
    “Sorry. I know the council contract is annoying, but what can you do? At least I can cycle to your place. The next nearest transporter doesn’t have security clearance.”
    “Poor you, you would have to drive your car.”
    “Yup. As you know, I am exceptionally lazy.”
    “Well, the council does pay very well, so I don’t mind. At least you don’t have any weird expectations. Some folk don’t seem to grasp that I can’t send them to the Crossroads at any time. It is a travelling dimensional bubble. I have to wait until it lines up.”
    This was an old complaint so Ty kept spinning. “I know, Heloise.”
    She was balancing a pen on her upper lip a few minutes later when Heloise snatched it away.
    “I am ready, Tyanna.”
    Ty got to her feet and walked over to the small worn patch on the floor. “Ready when you are.”
    “Come home safe. I give you two weeks, then I sell your bike.” Heloise held out her hands, wearing the small amulet around her neck that contained the soil of Tyanna’s destination.
    Tyanna held her breath for a moment, exhaled quickly and inhaled sharply as energy surged up her body in a tingling wave. Heloise had mastered the blackout transport and Ty was always grateful. There was no flash of light, she just appeared in her destination.
    A deep breath brought the scent of beer, gravel, concrete and deep-frying oil. The underlying scent of vomit told her that she was near a bar.
    She looked around her and noted the non-descript industrial walls and the abandoned expanse surrounding her. It was safe, empty and not even the rats made it past the heavy warding that kept her from prying human eyes. Council safe houses took up a myriad of incarnations, but they all had features in common, including the hidey-hole for her to place her bag in. She kept her ID and her wallet but left the bag sealed in the safe place that sprang open when she ran her hand along the wall. She closed it with a soft click and licked her thumb to mark the spot with her own scent.
    Transporters had taken some of the stress out of travelling, but it still took her a couple of hours to feel normal. Since she already knew that her target’s last point of contact was nearby, she figured she could pass the time nursing a cocktail or a beer instead of putting off the inevitable.
    She straightened her shoulders and headed out into the dimming streets just in time to see the two working lights come on just outside the very building she was looking for.
    The door had the soft sheen of oiled wood, carried the scent of thousands of partially clean hands and several brands of beer.
    She settled her shoulders into a curved slump and altered her posture to reflect fatigue and hopelessness. She wanted to blend in.
    When she stepped inside, several heads turned toward her but most of them turned away. The few that continued looking at her had a predatory gaze. She hid her grin. This was going to be an entertaining evening.
     

Chapter Two
     
     
    Tyanna had settled on a corner stool near the wall. The few men who had looked interested calmed down when better prey entered the bar in the form of a delicate blonde who seemed to be having car trouble. She was fresh meat and the men were nearly growling while their female companions hissed.
    Ty was putting it into terms that she could understand. The mating behaviour of humans never failed to baffle her. Being a shifter was socially awkward, but she knew where she stood when it came to seeking out members of the opposite sex. Scent was a powerful indicator, so was her personal cycle. Fortunately,